Many times shuttered schools are left to waste away.
That is not the case so far in West Mifflin, where a recently closed middle school is being put to use as a training facility for area police departments.
The old West Mifflin Area Middle School along Camp Hollow Road has been the location for three "incident command" police training sessions since students moved out of the facility in late January, borough police Chief Ken Davies reported at a council meeting Tuesday.
The sessions are being facilitated through the Steel Valley Council of Governments and are available to police from all departments served by Steel Valley COG.
Davies said the sessions offer police training in how to take command of a situation involving an armed assault on a building, and teaches tactics for ending such attacks.
"They're literally going in and locating the active shooter and dealing with him," said Davies, who noted police use weapons that fire air-soft pellets in training.
Assistant superintendent Mark Hoover, who attended the council meeting, said the district is glad to be able to offer the building to police.
"It only helps us as a school district in case there would be an emergency," he said.
The district's middle school students transferred to a new facility that shares a campus with the district's high school on Jan. 30.
In other news, Mayor Chris Kelly reminded residents of the borough's new Soldier Salute program honoring local veterans who served in armed conflicts, with signs featuring pictures of the veteran to be posted at Mitchell Paige Memorial Park between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The mayor said the cost of having a tribute made is $40 and there is still time to place an order.
Additional information about the program is available on the borough website www.15122.com.
Baldwin EMS Chief William Plunkett noted at the meeting that the ambulance company has purchased a new Lifeline vehicle to replace one of its aging ambulances.
Plunkett said the cost of the new ambulance is $191,000 and that the company received three Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency grants totaling $29,000 with help from state Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, that it applied to the purchase of the vehicle.
Borough officials had help from 18 students from West Mifflin Area High School who participated in the regular monthly voting session Tuesday.
Prior to the meeting, borough officials attended an assembly at the high school as part of the annual Government Day. At the onset of the regular meeting, students were sworn in by West Mifflin Magisterial District Judge Richard Olasz Jr. as honorary council members and borough officials.
